Historic Texas Homes

Texas is a state abundant in history. One of the most popular ways for Texas tourists to take in this history is to visit some of the historic Texas homes. They are located all over the Lone Star State and in this article we take a look at several historic homes in San Marcos Texas. San Marcos is located along the Interstate 35 corridor about 30 miles southwest of Austin and about 50 miles northeast of San Antonio.

National Register Marker

San Marcos Texas offers visitors the opportunity to view an absolutely stunning array of nineteenth century homes. These homes are all privately owned and are open to the public only during designated events. Regardless, if you happen to be on a Texas road trip between Austin and San Antonio, you'll be glad you made a stop in San Marcos.

San Marcos Texas

Presidio San Marcos de Neve was founded in the early 1800's about four miles below present day San Marcos Texas. This was the site where the Old San Antonio Road crossed the San Marcos River. A devastating flood in 1808 nearly destroyed the settlement. The small Spanish colony held on for several years, but troubles with the Comanche and Tonkawa Indians forced settlers to abandon it in 1812.

Example of Belvin Street District Restorations

William Lindsey, Gen. Edward Burleson and Eli T. Merriman founded San Marcos, Texas in 1851. They had purchased Juan Vermendi tract of land along the river and laid out the city. The town's economic growth in the 1800's was fueled by both cotton and cattle. A significant event was the entrance of the International-Great Northern Railroad in 1881. The next big event was the opening of Southwest Texas State Normal School in 1903. Today, this school is named Texas State University with a student enrollment of about 35,000. In 1907, not long after the Normal School was created, the San Marcos Baptist Academy was founded.

Restored 19th Century Victorian Architecture

The Belvin Historic District

San Marcos is a gateway town to the Texas Hill Country and offers historic small town charm with modern activities. One area you want to look for in San Marcos is the Belvin Historic District. Belvin Street was named in 1876 for the Rev. R. H. Belvin who was president and owner of Coronal Institute from 1870 to 1875. The Coronal Institute was founded in San Marcos in 1868 as a private, coeducational school and offered military training to boys. The Belvin Historic District was created in 1974 by the city of San Marcos Bicentennial Commission as a heritage goal during preparation for the nation's 200th birthday in 1976.

Among the historic homes you'll see along the Belvin Historic District includes the Belvin home which was  built in 1875... the O. T. Brown house built in 1878...the houses of J. S. Davis and S. R. Kone, Jr., built in 1886... Mrs. A. J. Wood's home built in 1888...the homes of J. F. McGehee, H. G. Talmadge and E. L. Thomas built in 1889... the J. L. Malone house from 1891... the Joe Earnest house from 1892... the G. T. McGehee house built in 1895. Also in this district are historic homes of the early 1900s.

Hofheinz House

The Hofheinz house was constructed in 1908 by Mead & Eastwood Lumber Co. for Augusta Hofheinz, widow of Daniel Hofheinz (1849-1903).  Hofheinz owned and operated a hotel he constructed in San Marcos in the late 1870s. their son, Walter , supervised the homes construction. Augusta lived in the house until her death in 1924. The Augusta Hofheinz house is a finely detailed excellent example of classical revival architecture featuring symmetrical composition, giant order classical columns, and a deep entablature. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

The 1867 Charles S. Cock House is another house of note and is featured annually in the Tours of Distinction Event, held the first weekend in May. However, lunch is served in the cottage kitchen on Fridays from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. throughout the year. It is located at C.M. Allen Parkway and E. Hopkins St.

You'll also enjoy our Western Trips photo articles on the Guenther House and Pioneer Mill in San Antonio  Homes in the 1800's in McKinney Texas ....A World Class Austin Texas History Museum.
And  the Historic Homes of Waco Texas

King William Historic District, San Antonio TX

The Marvel of Victorian Homes

Victorian homes have remained quite popular and the beautifully restored homes found throughout the state of Texas are testament to this. Queen Victoria's death essentially marked the official end to this architecture style however today many of the best looking houses in town remain Victorian design. Travel to some of the Texas towns and cities large and small and chances are you'll find many examples.

Some of the best smaller towns to view historic architecture, particularly Victoria, include Hillsboro Texas, about fifty miles south of Dallas...McKinney Texas. about 30 miles northeast of Dallas and the King William Historic District just south of the central business district of San Antonio.

(Photos from author's private collection)